The report will be heard at the Council's Cabinet meeting on Thursday 21stSeptember and will raise various recommendations to improve the quality of rivers and watercourses in Cardiff and the wider South East Wales River Basin.

The main pollution causes were found to include sewer abuse and misconnections of white goods such as dishwashers and washing machines - the discharge from such appliances ultimately finding its way into local watercourses. Other pollution sources included littering, farm waste including silt and slurry and the incorrect disposal of fat, grease and oil from catering outlets.

Alien and invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed, Hymalasian Balsalm, Zebra Mussels and Killer Shrimp were found to be having a detrimental effect on the local ecosystem. At the same time species, such as salmon, trout, chub, eel and invertebrates have been affected by industrialisation and urbanisation, with the introduction of man-mad structures such as weirs creating barriers to fish migration to their spawning grounds.

Chair of Environmental Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Ramesh Patel said: "It has become apparent that the pressures of modern life are having a negative impact on our local rivers and this report demonstrates that a range of initiatives are needed to tackle these issues, ensuring that our rivers flourish and are restored. Control measures need to be implemented and so a partnership working approach is vital. By working together as a partnership we will achieve more."

The inquiry was delivered by the Council in partnership with Dwr Cymru, Natural Resources Wales, Keep Wales Tidy, South East Wales Rivers Trust, Cardiff Rivers Group, Glamorgan Anglers and Groundwork Wales.